Highway construction and method



Patented Jan. 9, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTIONAND METHOD Gilbert Rodli, Huntingdon, Pa.

Application November 22, 1939, Serial No. 305,721

2 Claims.

This invention relates to highways, combined highways and surfacemarkers, and more particularly to highway markers involving a refleetingbinder and transparent autocollimating units. Prior to the instantinvention it has been proposed that center line markers on roadwaysinvolve a white or colored reflecting paint base in which is imbedded aplurality of transparent autocollimating units. Such priorinstallations, while they have been more or less eicient in reectinglight in the manner dels ireccll, yet they have not been suflicientlylong ive It is an object of the instant invention to prolong the life ofrelatively efllcient markers comprising paint-like binders and lightrefracting particles by sinking the same into a roadway a distance moreor less corresponding to the height of the marker whereby the top of themarker may be substantially level with the roadway-instead of projectingmaterially thereabove as is the case with prior markers.

It is a further object of the instant invention to deform the surface ofa roadway or a surface to be marked prior to the application of a binderand light refracting units in order that the surface of the marker thusformed will be better protected,

It.is still a further object of the instant invention to so arrange abinder bearing light refracting units on the surface of the highway sothat portions of the marker thus formed will be at an angle to thesurface of the marker whereby a relatively large percentage of the areaof the units will be securely gripped by the binder and whereby arelatively large percentage of the units will be available for therefraction of light rays.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Flg. 1 is a view in perspective of a combined road and lane line surfacemarker and a vertical roadside suriace marker;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a road surface with a reflecting binderapplied thereto;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with autocollimating units embeddedin said binder;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and depicting a roller eiecting thesinking in of the bound autocollimating units to eiect the combined roadsurface and marker.

Referring to Fig. 1, a roadway 20 is marked with a center line or laneline 2l and a vertical roadside unit22. The unshaded area 23 of the roadIll represents the light from the head lamps of an automobile which,when it hits the road, is generally diffused and lost, only some of thelight returning to the driver, with the exception of that light whichhits the center or lane line 2l and the lines 24 of the vertical marker22. As the line 2| and the lines 24 involve a reflecting binder andlight refracting autocollimating units embedded therein, the light whichhits these lines is returned to its source.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3, and 4, the road proper `30 may comprise aplastic top surface such as a freshly laid or old asphalt or macadam topsurface. When the nnished marker is to be a lane line or a center lineon a roadway, a paintlike binder 3l, such as described in copendingapplication Serial No. 274,666, illed May 19, 1939 (now Patent No.2,268,537 dated December 30, 1941) m-ay be applied to the road surface30 in a width of four or six inches or as required and for any lengthcontinuously along the length or in a dashed or interrupted effect. Withthe binder 3l in a wet or semiwet condition the autocollimating units32, which may take the form described in copending application SerialNo. 274,667, led May 19, 1939, may be applied to or distributedthereover as described in this copending application. Application SerialNo. 274,667 has now matured into Patent No. 2,275,597 dated March 10,1942., and in the specification of that patent it is stated that theautocollimating units may be graduated in size from 0.0105 to 0.040 inchin diameter. Subsequent to the setting of the binder or the bondingtherewith of the road surface 3|] and the autocollimating units 32, aheavy roller 33 of a width somewhat exceeding the width of the marker isapplied thereover to effect the sinking of the stripe or marker as bestillustrated in Fig. 4. If desired the roller may be hollowed outsomewhat so that the marker willnot sink as low as illustrated in Fig.4, though it is preferred, in the instant case, to utilize a roller suchas illustrated in Fig. 4. The iinished combined road and marker thusef.. fected is inherently as efficient as an ordinary exposed markercomprising binder and autocollimating units but is capable of muchlonger life as trahie shock to which the former is subjected issubstantially eliminated.

The above described combined road surfaces and markers are particularlyadvantageous in that they are relatively long lived. As a practicalmatter, a lane line or center line may be effected and not particularlyeiilcient.

by simply painting the road surface at very small expense' insofar asmaterial is concerned. However, such markings are relatively short livedSuch markings may be improved by including glass autocollimating units,which materially increases the elciency of the marker and increases tosome extent the life of the marker. The cost of materials involved,however, is considerably more, though the cost oi' additional labor isJust a little more. In order to justify the expense oi' the additionalmaterial; namely, the glass autocollimating units, or the more expensivebinder required, it is essential that the marker have a very much longerlife so as to require servicing very infrequently.

lThis applicant has achieved by depressing the marker in relation to themajor surface of the roadwayA and further by having some of thedepressed portions angularly disposed so that the autocollimating unitsare gripped over a relatively large area and simultaneously haverelatively great portions exposed for refraction and reflection purposesin a novel manner. Not only may the principles described be applied tohorizontal surfaces, but they may also be applied to .vertical surfaces,as for example the vertical surface road marker 22.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in this device without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention4 is not limited to what is shown inthe drawingV vand described in the specication but only as indicated inthe appended claims.

What is claimed is: f 1. The method of forming a combined highway andmarker comprising applying a wet reecting binder film to a portion of arelatively soft plastic surfaced highway, while the binder is in a wetor semiwet condition distributing a series of autocollimatingunitsthereover, permitting said binder to set, and pressing the binderand autocollimating units into the surface of the highway.

2. The method of forming a combined highway and marker comprisingapplying a wet reflector binding film to a portion of a plastic surfacedhighway such as an asphalt or macadam highway, while the binder i s in awet or semi-wet condition, distributing a series of glass spheresthereover in a manner such that the glass spheres will be partiallyembedded in said binder and partially exposed, and pressing the binderand autocollimating units into the surface of said plastic highway insuch a manner that the relationship between the binder and the glassspheres is substantially maintained and the marked portion is protectedfrom surface trame.

. GILBERT RODLI.

